"James! Please, won't you tell me? Pretty please?" Karina begged her older brother. James laughed and shook his head.
"Sorry, Rina. You'll just have to wait until September. Now come on! Mum's taking us to Diagon Alley to get your supplies!" Karina gave her brother a shove onto his bed, then ran down the stars as fast as she could, jumping onto the stair rail and sliding all the way down to the second floor. She then ran into the kitchen to find her mother doing the dishes, using magic of course.
"Mum!" She wailed. "I thought we were going to Diagon Alley!" Marie Potter laughed, finishing the dishes.
"Alright, my impatient one!" She said, then she called upstairs. "James! Let's go! We're Floo Powdering down to Diagon Alley!"
"Coming, Mum!" James called, sliding down the banister after her.
As soon as they'd reached Diagon Alley, their mother gave them each some pocket money.
"Now you two, I'm trusting you. James, you can go look at brooms for Quidditch tryouts if you want to, but I want you to watch out for Karina. And take her down to get a cat or an owl, will you? I'll get her books and the rest of her things." James nodded, wrapping an arm around Karina and pulling her close.
"Don't worry, Mum! Ickles Rinakins is always safe with me!" Karina pushed him away, laughing. "Come on, Rina! Maybe we can meet up with Sirius, Remus, and Peter!" That made Karina excited. She knew Remus pretty well, as he came over sometimes. She didn't know Peter very well because he was rather skittish and often afraid to do much magic, even something as simple as Floo Powder so he hadn't came over much over the summer, and she hadn't met Sirius at all.
Karina and James raced through Diagon Alley, looking for the sweetshops and the broom shops.
"Prongs! Karina! Over here!" They heard someone call. They turned and saw Remus by the potions shop, waving at them. His parents were inside, speaking with the owner.
"Hi Moony!" James called as they ran over. "Have you seen Padfoot and Wormtail?" Remus shook his head.
"I thought I saw Madam Black down Knockturn Alley, but I wasn't sure. But you know who I did see down by Ollivander's?"
"Who?" James asked, Karina just as curious, especially about the odd names.
"Lily Evans! And she was talking to Snivelleus!" James's eyes went wide, then he looked at Karina, rubbing his chin.
"Come on, Karina! We need to get your wand!" Then he motioned for Remus to follow them. Remus told his parents, then they led Karina down to Ollivander's, Karina curious on what getting her wand had to do with Lily Evans and this Snivelleus person.
As they approached Ollivander's, Karina saw a red haired girl with emerald green eyes talking to a boy with long black hair and a hook nose.
"Hey, Lily!" James called, pulling Karina along. The red haired girl looked over and rolled her eyed when she saw James.
"James Potter." She said slowly, the other boy turning around. "What are you doing here?" James put his arm around Karina, looking cocky.
"Just bringing my little sister, Karina, up to get her first wand. Wanna come with us?" Lily nodded, smiling at Karina.
"Of course! Severus, do you mind?" The other boy shook his head, looking sullen.
"No, I have to go find my parents anyway. See you around, Lily. Good luck in your first year, Karina." James's smile turned to a scowl.
"Get outta here, Snivelleus." Severus just looked at James with a empty eyes, then ran off towards the potions shop.
When Karina entered the wand shop, it was not at all what she had been expecting. She'd expected lots of first years, shooting magic like madness, with a cheery older man running around fixing their wands just right for them. Maybe even a few wands on display. But all there was, was an old desk with a few boxes on it and shelves upon shelves of boxes. And it was pretty much empty.
Or so she thought, until she heard someone clearing their throat. She looked behind the desk, and saw an elderly man looking at her.
"Ah, Miss Potter." The old man said, and Karina assumed that he was Ollivander. "I've been expecting you. I've heard a little bit about you from Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin." Then,without ado, he came over and began measuring her and making her cheeks get warm. She had always been short for her age, which she found unfair, as James was pretty tall.
After the measuring, Ollivander went over to the shelves and pulled out a couple of boxes. Then he had her try a few wands, until she found one that seemed just right.
"Fourteen inches, good and sturdy, beechwood and dragon heartstring." Karina smiled, feeling twice as tall with the wand. She gave Ollivander the seven Galleons she owed, then she met back up with James, Lily, and Remus outside, where they heard two voices yelling.
"Come back here! Sirius! Auntie won't like that you ran off!" Called a young girl's voice after a disheveled younger boy, who looked scared of her.
"Leave me alone, Bellatrix!" The boy called back. "Let me be!"
"Sirius! Bellatrix! Come back! Or else I'm telling Mum!" a second girl's voice called, and they saw her running after the others.
"That's Sirius!" James exclaimed. "And stinkin Bellatrix and Narcissa! Come on, let's go help him!" Then he and Remus went after the three, and Karina saw no choice but to follow.
"Leave him alone, Bellatrix!" James shouted.
"Lookit, Cissy!" Bellatrix stopped chasing Sirius to stop and laugh at James, Remus, and Karina. "Looks like Potty Potter has a miniature!" Karina stood her ground. "Come on, Potty! Show us what for! Defend your friend!"
"Don't do it, James!" Sirius told him, running over by him. "Don't get yourself in trouble."
"Potty can't do it! Potty can't do it!" Bellatrix teased.
"Bellatrix and Narcissa Black! Ge back over here!" They heard a shrill voice call, and saw the two Madame Blacks, Walberga and Selfinia, standing there. Next to Madame Selfinia stood a girl who looked like her sisters. She was called Andromeda. Next to Madame Walberga, stood Sirius's brother, Regulus.
"Sirius! Come along now!" Walberga told him.
"Actually ma'am, may Sirius come with us?" James asked, using a tone that Karina had only ever heard him use in front of their mother. Madame Walberga nodded, as if she couldnt care less.
"Fine!" The she and Regulus left, followed by Selfinia, Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa.
